Abstract: As modern software systems continue inexorably to increase in complexity and
capability, users have become accustomed to periodic cycles of updating and
upgrading to avoid obsolescence -- if at some cost in terms of frustration. In
the case of the U.S. military, having access to well-functioning software
systems and underlying content is critical to national security, but updates
are no less problematic than among civilian users and often demand considerable
time and expense. To address these challenges, DARPA has announced a new
four-year research project to investigate the fundamental computational and
algorithmic requirements necessary for software systems and data to remain
robust and functional in excess of 100 years. The Building Resource Adaptive
Software Systems, or BRASS, program seeks to realize foundational advances in
the design and implementation of long-lived software systems that can
dynamically adapt to changes in the resources they depend upon and environments
in which they operate. MIT Lincoln Laboratory will provide the test framework
and evaluation of proposed software tools in support of this revolutionary
vision.